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Which Toothpaste is Best?

One of the most common questions we get is “Which Toothpaste is Best?”. This really is a great question, especially given the huge variety of toothpastes available on the market today. Lets start by providing a short list of ingredients that are common to most of the toothpastes available:

1. Foaming Agent: Usually in the form of SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) which is essentially soap.

2. Fluoride: Most toothpastes contain fluoride in varying amounts unless a fluoride-free toothpaste is specifically chosen.

3. Abrasive: These particles provide the “grit” to help polish the teeth. For most toothpastes this grit is hydrated silica – which is also a common ingredient in whitening toothpastes.

4. Desensitizer: The active desensitizer ingredient may vary but is usually potassium nitrate or stannous fluoride.

5. Triclosan: Triclosan is an antibacterial/antifungal agent. Although controversial, most studies suggest the “good outweighs the bad”.

6. Tartar Control: Ingredients such as tetrasodium pyrophosphate help prevent the growth of tartar on your teeth. May cause an issue with people who are sensitive to high PH.

7. Misc: There are multiple other ingredients used to help flavour and thicken toothpastes.

The truth of the matter is, its the toothbrush that’s more important than the toothpaste! As long as the following are taken into consideration, you wont typically find a major difference between toothpastes:

1. Portion Control: Only use a pea-sized amount. More is NOT better!

2. Brush for at least two minutes with proper technique and make sure you brush everywhere!

3. Brush often!